My last two weeks were insane. Some of you know that a good friend of mine had to have emergency heart surgery. During the time that he was in the hospital, I stepped in to help care for his three children so his wife could spend much of her time at his bedside. I am excited to say that he came home today. The long road to recovery continues, but we are thrilled by his progress to date. Unfortunately, much of my time for free reading disappeared.

Here is what I have been able to squeeze in.

Here I Am story by Patti Kim; Illustrated by Sonia Sánchez (Picture Window Books, July 1, 2013) - A wordless picture book that looks at the immigrant experience.

Daisy Gets Lost by Chris Rascka (Schwartz & Wade, October 8, 2013) - Rascka's follow-up to A Ball for Daisy is really fun.

The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig; Illustrated by Patricia Barton (Knopf Books for Young Readers, October 8, 2013) - A story of differences and friendship that will be a great discussion starter.

Train by Elisha Cooper (Orchard Books, September 24, 2013) - Fans of Cooper will enjoy her latest book about commuters on a train.

No More Independent Reading Without Support by Debbie Miller, Barbara Moss; Edited by Nell K Duke, Ellin Oliver Keene (Heinemann, 2013) - This has some great stuff in it and it isn't a long read. I am eager to share this with my Literacy PLC.